Former Liverpool FC man Jason McAteer believes Borussia Dortmund and England talisman Jadon Sancho would be a better fit for Jurgen Klopp’s Merseyside men rather than Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe, Paris Saint-Germain’s megastar, has been long courted by the Reds heading into this summer and with rumours of the World Cup-winning forward wanting to leave France, Liverpool FC are understood to be in the mix to land his signature.
However, while speaking in a recent interview as quoted by Goal, McAteer claimed that a player of Sancho’s ability presented a perfect fit for Klopp’s side who have endured quite a series of lacklustre attacking displays over the course of the miserable title-defence campaign.
“You’ll think I’ll say if I can sign any player, I’d sign Mbappe? The biggest talking points at Liverpool are the tactics. Klopp has tried to evolve tactically. He has tried to use a 4-2-3-1, he has tried to change it up and go away from this traditional 4-3-3 – he just hasn’t really had the players to do that job.
“[Diogo] Jota obviously opens up the potential to that tactical change but sometimes you can become very predictable. I think Liverpool did, in some ways, become predictable, and I think that’s why they’ve lost some of the games that they have.
“You look at the teams that have come with that low block, they’ve come with that low defensive unit that is saying ‘come and break us down. We know we’ll get an opportunity. And if we can be clinical, we can kind of nick this’.
“I think that’s what’s happened in quite a lot of the games this season, Liverpool have come unstuck against teams that have offered those kinds of tactics, they haven’t been able to break them down. So, I think versatility would be the way to go.
“I know it’s a long-winded answer. But I’d sign Jadon Sancho. I’d sign him because he’s got that versatility.
“I think he can play different positions: he can play left, or right, or down the centre if you wanted. “He’s got pace and he’s got creativity. If there’s a low block and you need something a little bit different, he offers that. He’s also young and he fits into the mould of this Liverpool team. That’s the player I’d go out and buy.”
Jurgen Klopp is believed to be keen on adding fresh big-name faces to his ranks ahead of the new campaign as the Reds seek to pose a renewed battle to Manchester City for the top-flight crown next time around.
Sancho’s potential arrival on Merseyside could go a long way in helping Liverpool FC achieve the same especially with the long-term future of Roberto Firmino looking increasingly divided beyond the summer.
